Life Cycle of a Star

Aleena Schadler

Life Cycle of a Star

Aleena Schadler

The Beginning

Main Sequence

Once a star is born it goes into the main sequence which is a star that is fusing hydrogen into helium, a star spends most of its life in the main sequence.

Red Giant or Red Supergiant

After the main sequence a star will either become a Red Giant or Red Supergiant.

A Red Giant is a star that has run out of hydrogen and is cooling and expanding. A Red Supergiant is a massive star that has run out of hydrogen and is cooling and expanding. The determining factor of whether a star is a Supergiant or just a giant is by its size.

supernova or white dwarf

Red Giants become white dwarfs. A white dwarf is the glowing leftover core of a dead star. Red Supergiants will eventually blow up in a huge explosion called a supernova.

Supernova

White Dwarf

Supernova

White Dwarf

Black dwarfs

White dwarfs will eventually become a black dwarf. A black dwarf is basically just a white dwarf that has stopped glowing.

Black holes

Once a supernova occurs there is chance that i the explosion/star was big enough it would create a black hole. A black hole is a supernova's massive leftovers that are so dense that not even light can escape.

Neutron Star then Pulsar

If a supernova doesn't create a black hole it might potentially create a neutron star. A neutron star is stellar remains from a supernova. After becoming a neutron star, the star will become a pulsar. A pulsar is when a neutron star begins to spin.